Latch



Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

UNITED. STATES PATENT orFlcE GORDON n. Ronnnnvor GRAND-Burns,

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR '10 GRAND`RAPIDS BRASS COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF`MICHIGAN.

Tamron.`

. Application filedJuly 28,

The present invention relates to latches for the doors of refrigerators and the like; and its object is to provide a, latch having` improved means for yieldingly holding the latching bolt in lcerta-in positions, and, in certain movements of the bolt, urging the saine into another of its positions; and further, to provide a latch having vsuch means and adapted to be mounted on a door swingably carried at either of its opposite sides; and further, to provide improved means for locking the latching bolt against retraction.

These and any other objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the invention finds preferable kembodiment' in, the structure vhereinafter particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated' by the accompanying drawings, in

which Y Figure 1 is a front view of a latch and its keeper element;

Figure 2 is an inner side view of the latch showing the bolt in latching position;

Figure 3 is a like view of the same, but showing the bolt in a retracted position;

Figure 4 is a` horizontal sectional view of the same taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a left hand side view of the latch and its keeper element, showing` the door member on which the latch ismounted approaching closed position; and

Figure 6 is a view of one of the bolts actuating springs.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by the accompanying' drawings, a latch is shown mounted on the closure member 1 .of door, its keeper member 2 being mounted on the j amb or frame member 3 of the door. In Figure 1i, the latch is shown mounted on a closure member hinged at its right hand side, but the same'latchinay be mounted on a closure member hinged at its opposite or left hand side. This latch comprises a latching bolt 4 swingably carried in` a casing 6, a portion 7 of the bolt extending through a slot 8 in the casing and beingy adapted to latchingly engage in the keeper or recess 9 in the element 2 to hold the closure member 1V shut, said portion 7 being desirably provided with an anti-friction roll 10. This latching ybolt may be swung by khand b-y any suitable means or part thereof; in the illustrated construction however it is swung by its handle arm 11 extending through a slot 12 in the casing.

192s. serial 110.125,40.

In the illustrated latch,`capable of being mounted on the right hand side or on the left hand side of a closuremeinber, the bolt a has portions 13, 14 spaced apart in the kboltsV transverse direction. .This Vlatchin'g. Abolt is a floating element slidably bearing 'portion 13 of the bolt turns on said surface 19,A while the other portion 14;- of the bolt moves away from said surface as seen in Figure 3; and in case the latch is mounted on a door closure hinged at its opposite or left hand side, the swingingof the bolt in the opposite direction to retracted position causes the bolts portion 14l to turn on said surface 19 and the bolts portion` 13 to move away from said surface. eans are provided for yieldingly holding the bolt a in any of its positions, and at a point in its movenient'toward any of its positions, urging the rsame to that position. Such means comprise af pair of U-shaped springs 20, 21 whose ends 22, 23 are rockably mounted at 2&1-, 25 on the casing and at 26, 27 on the bolt adjacent its said portions 13, 14 respectively. Thesesprings areunder compression, so that they yieldingly hold the bolt in latching position seen in Figure 2. Vif hen the handle arm 11 ismoved downwardly to swing the bolt i tothe retractedA position shown in Figure 3, the portion 13 of the `boit turns and slidesl downwardly on the surface 19 under the expansive urge of the spring 20, while the belts4 other portion 1i moves away from said surface, further compressing the spring 21', until the end 23 of said spring is carried past a direct line between the mounting point 25 ofthe spring 21 and the bearing of theportion 13 on the surface 19, whereupon thisy spring 21 eX- pandin'g suddenly moves the bolt to the retracted position seen in Figure 3, the eX- pandingof the other spring 20 contributing to this action. lVhen the bolt is swung from said retracted position the action of these springs, when said line is crossed, sudden- Vly returns the bolt to latching position seen closure member, the action of the tWo springs is intel-changed, the spring 20 acting as does spring 21 and the spring 21 acting as does spring 20 in the case above described.

A lock is provided for locking the bolt in latching position, comprising a tumbler 3() mounted at 3l pivotally on the bolt and having extensions 32 and 33. Vhen the bolt is in latching position, a key of common form (not shown) may be inserted into the `keyhole 34 and turned sufficiently to engage the under side of the tumblers arm 35 and turn the tumbler from its position shown in Figures 2 and 3 to a position wherein the extremity of its upper extension 32 engages the stop 36 on the casing and thus locks the bolt from being swung to the retracted position shown in Figure 3. The key may then be turned back and withdrawn.

When the latch is mounted on the opposite side of a door closure, the tumbler may be turned by the key to a position wherein the extremity of its other extension 33 abuts the opposite stop 37 and holds the bolt against unlatching. A spring 38 yieldingly holds the tumbler in either locking position, the tumbler at its side 39 or 40 as the case may be, sliding along this spring in the swinging movement of the bolt. It is evident that this locking means is operable in the same manner in connect-ion with any latching bolt movable in opposite directions from latching position and adapted for mounting on a door closure hinged at either side.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

l. In combination with a keeper therefor', a latch comprising: a bolt carriedby a door member swingably to latching position and to retracted position and having portions spaced apart in the bolts transverse direction, said member having a surface on which one of said portions turns in the bolts swinging movement; a pair of springs pressing said portions respectively to yieldingly hold the bolt in yits latching position, at least one of the springs at a point in the bolts movement toward any one of its said positions urging the same to that position, and at leastone of the springs urging one of said portions into turning engagement with said surface in the bolts swinging movement.

2. In combination with a keeper therefor, a latch comprising: a bolt carried by a door member swingably to latching position and to retracted position and having portions spaced apart in'the bolts transverse direction, said member having a surface on which one of said portions turns in the bolts swinging movement; a pair of springs having their ends pivotally connected with said member and with the bolt adjacent its said portions respectively and pressing said portions respectively to yieldingly hold the bolt in its latching position, at least one of the springs at a point in the bolts movement toward any one of its said positions urging the same to that posit-ion and at least one of the springs urging one of said portions into turning engagement with said surface in the bolts swinging movement.

3. In combination with a keeper therefor, a. latch comprising: a bolt carried by a door member swingably to latching position and in either direction therefrom to a retracted position and having portions spaced apart in the boltsvtransverse direction, said member having a surface on which one of said portions turns in the bolts movement to and from one of its retractedpositions and the other of said portions turns in the bolts movement to and from the other of its retracted positions; a pair of springs pressing said portions respectively to yieldingly hold the bolt in its latching position, at least one of the springs at a point in the bolts ymovement toward any of its said positions urging the same to that position, and at least one of the springs urging one of said portions into turning engagement with said surface in the bolts swinging movement. 4. In combination with a keeper therefor, a latch comprising: a bolt carried by a door member swingably to latching position and to retracted position; a stop carried by said member; a lock comprising a tumbler turnable on the bolt to a position engaging the stop to hold the bolt in latching position and adapted to be key-turned to a position disengaging the stop; a spring on which the tumbler slides in the bolts movement yieldingly holding the tumbler in its stop-engaging position.

5. In combination with a keeper therefor, a latch comprising: a bolt carried by a door member' swingably to latching position an'd in either direction therefrom to a retracted position; stops carried by said member on the opposite sides respectively of the bolt; a lock comprising a tumbler turnable on the bolt to a position engaging one of the stops to hold the bolt against movement in one direction to retracted position and turnable on the bolt to another' position engaging the other stop to hold the bolt against movement in the other direction to retracted position; a spring yieldingly holding the tumbler in either of its stop-engaging positions.`

G. In combination with a keeper therefor, a latch comprising: a bolt carried by a door member swingably to latching position and to retracted position and having portions spaced apart in the bolts transverse direction, said member having a SHI surface on which one of said portions turns and slides in the boltsswinging movement; a pair of springs pressing said portions respeotively to yieldinglyhold the holt in its latching position, one of the springsurging one of said portions into turning and sliding engagement with said surface inthe bolts swinging movement and both springs at a point in the bolts swinging movement toward oney of its said positions urging the 10 same to that position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Grand Rapids, Michigan, this 24th day of July, 1926.

GORDON E. ROEDDING. 

